How to choose a POS system for a café: 7 criteria
A corner café and a multi-store coffee chain do not need the same thing — but both suffer from the same pains if the software is wrong: lost orders, end-of-day mistakes, printer drops. Use the seven criteria below to pick the right POS.
1) Order flow matches your operation
Some venues rush a single-item sale; others take reservations, hold deposits and need zones. If you can open a demo table and ring up a latte in under ten minutes, the flow works.
2) Printers: 80 mm thermal, ESC/POS, port 9100
These three standards cover 95 % of printers sold in Turkey. Choose Ethernet over USB if you can — no agent needed.
3) Split payments, mixed tender and void trails
Four friends, four cards — one bill. Every void and comp must record the reason, time and user — this is how you catch theft.
4) Pricing: no setup fee, no 12-month lock-in
Walk away from solutions that charge a setup fee or lock you into a yearly contract. Month-to-month, cancel any time.
5) QR menu removes the print bill
A QR menu saves roughly 10-15 thousand TL a year in reprints, lets you update prices instantly and shows allergens.
6) Lapsed subscription must not stop the till
No customer should ever hear "the payment is late" while standing at the counter. Freeze premium modules, never the core till.
7) Can you actually talk to someone on a busy Friday?
Setup is worth nothing if the phone is answered on Monday only. Pick a vendor that helps you onboard, including the first month.